Sheet-gripping device



SHEET GRIPPING DEVICE:

UNITED STATES PATENT I ()FFICE.

HENRY E. LEONARD, or BROOKLYN, ivnw YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 0. B. COTTBELL & sons COMPANY, or new YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

SHEET-GRIPPING 'DEVIGE.

Applicationfiled April 10, .1919. Serial Ito. 289,119.

of the borough of Brooklyn, in the city and 7 State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Gripping- Devices, of which the following. is a specification.

In the usual practice,of adjusting tension grippers, it has been extremely difficult to so accurately adjust the several grippers r0- tatively on their rock shaft that the gripper fingers will all bear with equal tension on the sheet being handled by said grippers.

My present invention is directed to an improved tension gripper whereby all of the grippers on a shaft may be brought to the same tension by first adjusting the grippers rotatively on their rock shaft to bring them approximately to the tension desired and then adjusting each of the gripper fingers with the utmost accuracy to the desired tension. A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in the accompanying drawings in which, I v

Figure 1 represents a detail cross section through a rotary sheet carrier with my improved gripper shown closed and in side elevation.

Fig. 2 represents a similar view with the gripper shown in section.

Fig. 3 represents a section taken in the plane of the line IIIIII of Fig. 1.

The rotary sheet carrier 1 is provided with the usual gripper rock shaft 2. The hollow body portion 3 of my improved gripper sur rounds the gripper shaft 2 and is adjustable both longitudinally and rotatively thereon, the usual set screw 4 serving to lock the gripper to the rock shaft in its adjusted position with the gripper finger 5 in position to press upon the surface of therotary sheet carrier with the approximate tension required, when the shaft is rocked to close the gripper.

A rigid lug 6 projects from the body portion 3 of the gripper at a point beneath and spaced from the gripper finger 5. Thls lug carries means for adjusting the tension of the gripper finger 5, which means is herein shown as a finger tension adjusting screw 7 the end of which is adapted to bear against the under side of the gripper finger and to deflect the finger more or less away from its normal position as the screw is turned in the i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 19, 1920.

lug. It is desirableto provide the tension adjusting screw with a veryfine thread so as to obtain a very exact adjustment of the tension of the gripper finger 5. r

The lug 6also carries means for locking the tension adjusting screw 7 initsdifi'erent positions, which means is herein shown as a i set screw 8, which bears against 'the'side of the adjusting screw within the said lug.

Means such as a shoulder 9 vonthe tension adjusting screw 7 serves to prevent the screw from being turned far enough to defiect the gripper finger 5 beyond its'elastic limit and thereby set or break the finger.

In adjusting the gripper to the desired tension, the gripper is first rotatively adjusted on the rock shaft 2 to exert the approximatepressure desired, when closed on the sheet. The set screw 4 serves to lock the gripper to the rock shaft in this adjusted position. The gripper finger 5 is then deflected to a greater or lesser extent from its normal position by screwing or unscrewing the adjusting screw, it being understood that before the approximate adjustment of the gripper tension, the adjustingscrew should be turned to set the gripper finger under tension so that the screw in its adjusting operation can be turned in either direction to increase or decrease the tension of the gripper fin er.

It will thus be seen that by this means I am enabled to obtain the desired tension in the most accurate degree and by very simple and easily operated means.

It is to be understood that this type of gripper may be very effectively used wherever a tension gripper is required to have a very fine adjustment of its tension.

It is evident that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the several parts of the gripper, without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, hence I do not wish to limit myself to the particular construction herein shown and described, but

What I claim is:

1. A tension grippercomprising a hollow body portion, an integral gripper finger" projecting therefrom, a rigid lug projectbearing against the underside of the finger Y p pro ectlng therefrom, a r1g1d lug pro ecting from the body portion at a point beneath and spaced from the gripper finger, anvadjusting screw carried by the lug, bearing against the underside of the finger to deflect it more or less to adjust its tension, and a set screw carried by said lug, bearing against the adjusting screw for looking it against turning in the lug 3. A tension gripper comprising a hollow body portion, an integral gripper finger projecting therefrom, a rigid lug projecting from the body portion at a point beneath and spaced from the gripper finger, an ad justing screw carried by the lug, bearing against the underside of the finger to deflect it more or less to adjust its tension, and

means on the adjusting screw to limit its movement for preventing the finger from being deflected beyond its elastic limit.

4. A tension gripper comprising a hollow body portion, an integral gripper finger pro ecting therefrom, a rigid lug projecting from the body portion at a point beneath and spaced from the gripper finger, an adjusting screw carried by the lug, bearing against the underside of the finger to deflect it more or less to adjust its tension, a set screw carried by said lug, bearing against the adjusting screw for locking it against turning in thelug, and means on the adjusting screw to limit its movement for preventing the finger from being deflected be yond its elastic limit.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 7th'day of April, 1919.

HENRY E. LEONARD. 

